Tempranillo! The grape that made Calaveras County famous! (OK, along with frogs, Mark Twain, and an infamous archeological hoax...)

Tempranillo! Ten years ago you couldn’t even say “Tem-prah-NEE-yoh” and now, you - ladies and gentlemen - from what was only an inarticulate mass of Cab-swirling tissue, I give you a Cultured, Sophisticated Tempranillo lover about town!

Now get out there and put on that ritz!

Wine Profile

Tasting Notes

These here Tem-per-niller’s got some fine smells, and it tastes purty good too! Smells as sweet as wild strawberries growin’ in a mess of poison oak - but it don’t itch so much, I tell you what. It also smells like old Grandpappies fine pipe toe-baccy - not that wacky toe-baccy Uncle Earl used to smoke. Why, I remember that time he was up on the barn roof nekkid as a jaybird for three days..... er, anyways, this Tem-per-niller also tastes like them yummy cherries what grows up on Cherry Hill. Hey, that there reminds me of an old joke...

Vineyard Notes

100% Tempranillo from the Rolleri Vineyard

Food Pairing Notes

Spanish Rubbed Ribeye Steak. ‘Nuff Said….. OR, if that’s not enough said, try it with a Hamburger with grilled onions and a slice of Manchego. And Mexican food! Carnitas, Al Pastor, Carne Asada... you get the idea.

Wine Specs

Vintage

2012

Varietal

Tempranillo

Appellation

Calaveras County

Barrel Aging

16 months in 30% new American and Hungarian Oak, 70% neutral oak

Alcohol %

13.8

Product Reviews

Chris Henderson

(Nov 10, 2014 at 4:59 PM)

Ahoy Mateys! I can't beieve it's been a month since my last TO review! Been bogged down with other wines I needed to review, so the wine will continue to flow to me from other streams. But, enough said, I grabbed me a bottle of the 2012 Tempranillo to try, so let's see how it is!

The color in the glass is like red onion skin.

Sniffy Sniff Time - Bright fruit on the nose, with some cherry fruit, hints of tobacco leaf, and maybe a touch of clove.

Tasty Taste Time - Cherry fruit flavors, some leather notes, a bit of oak, and maybe a hint of vanilla? Medium tannins. A bit of heat on the finish.

So, I spoiled myself (almost said soiled myself, heh heh...which may be appropriate also, come to think of it), over having the 2010 River of Skulls for my first wine. The Tempranillo does not compare to that (and it shouldn't be, I know). It's a very good Tempranillo. Not quite as smooth as some I've had, but still very good overall.

Yep. Another day, and this wine has a much smoother texture, more like velvet from a wench's red dress a brushed up against in Tortuga last week.

I'm also getting a bit of smokiness on the nose, reminding me of that nice time me and the boys had pillaging that small village on the coast, there was much smoke in the air that night, to be fair.

Sir Cluckles had this to add - Bawk bawk, Ba-Gawk!

So, looks like I'm sayin' to give this one here a bit of breathing room to really enjoy it's fine quality...enjoy!

Bas vers le haut, Mateys...Arrrr!

James Pappa

(Dec 14, 2014 at 10:59 AM)

20141213: Jeff Stai you crafted an excellent wine with your 2012 Tempranillo (5 stars). This was decanted for about 20 minutes that helped bring out this wine. This was a medium bodied wine with a dark red color. There were aromas of dark fruit that continued on the palate with cherry, plum and blackberry. The finish had medium tannins and some smokiness leather and spice. This will bottle age well over the next few years.